struggling alot... mentally im done Gestational diabetes

[redddssak]

im 35 weeks and I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes a week ago after sent for testing, I was shocked to hear I was positive as had no symptoms and no family history
I scared myself a lot with google and the leaflets from nhs about complications can occur with this etc.
had the info session today and was well.. useless gduk has been helpful but its too much information, pairing foods confuses me aloit

im also not hungry as im very depressed, in the session today they mentioned how right until the baby comes out you need to have ur sugar levels under control, when most hospitals do not offer gd friendly options...
also how 50% of people who have gd now go on to have type 2 diabetes in life,, great how depressing !

I also wanted more than one child but after also learning ur almost certain to get gd in subsequent pregannacys I now have decided I do not want more children which has really upset me but I didnt reaslise how much this would effect me im crying everyday, today my readings have been higher still within range but same foods I had other days but higher and I just burst into tears like im failing my unborn child.
driving to the shop today as I needed to go food shopping I cried the while way I genuinely couldn't stop Im getting so jealous of people pregnant eating cake and still
I must sound horrible I only have maximum 5 more weeks of this but I cant see the light at the end of the tunnel
im self employed so can work when I want but I haven't been able too, I sleep inbetween meal/ snacks as I force myself to eat food I dont like

sorry how depressing this is but I just wish I could sleep and not wake up till this is all over
doesn't help my family think I just need to eat more fruit and salads.. theyre clueless I feel unsupported

Sending you a massive hug! It sounds like it's all come as a big shock for you.
There's no point me saying the weeks will fly because that doesn't help how you're feeling in this moment.
There are lots of support groups on Facebook. It might help talking to other people in the same position xxxx

Solidarity OP!
GD is a lot of hard work but learning about what foods work best and pairing does get easier over time I promise.
Drinking at least half a print of water just before or during a meal is one tip that really helped me keep sugars down.

was a huge shock! I still dont believe it but I defiantly have it, weeks have flown by until now theyre dragging now of course! im petrified to give birth but honestly give me any pain ill do anything to have this over with !

its so much information my brain cant handle it I feel overwhelmed with it all, im just eating what I think is right at this point but so scared to harm the baby I feel so useless like ive already let her down :(
I think today ive been especially stressed and upset which has caused my readings to be higher
admittedly im not drinking much or walking as I also have pgp which is so painful to walk sometimes so I need to try doing them two more to decrease the numbers but I also have no motivation to even get out of bed its terrible

I know how you feel, I was diagnosed with GD in my second pregnancy at 28 weeks. It can all feel a bit overwhelming. There’s an amazing group on Facebook which teaches you about pairing foods - “never eat a naked carb” ie have something high in fat with it as it slows the release of sugars into the blood. Drinking more water is a good shout, as well as trying to move a little after eating. If you’re feeling really down and anxious about it it may be worth speaking to a midwife about. They have specialist mental health midwives which I have also seen who are amazing. It seems forever but you’re almost there now xx

Oh also just to let you know, I’m on my third pregnancy now and got the all clear a couple of weeks ago so you aren’t guaranteed it in future pregnancies!

Hang in there OP. I got the call to say I had GD late in my first pregnancy when I was half way through a box of tunnocks tea cakes... I wasn't allowed to finish the box 😭. Anyway, that was tough but getting my sugars under control made me feel much better in myself. Had GD from 16 weeks with my twin pregnancy and had to inject insulin. I followed a low G.I diet and all was well. It's tricky but, when you get the hang of it, it's manageable. Good luck with it 🍀

thank you ! yeah ive been trying to follow the pairing and never eating a naked carb I think its going ok my readings are all within limits just been Abit higher today I think I put a number in my head which I want to say and when it says something else I feel sick
im kind of scared to reach out to any mental health people as im worried they see me as an unfit mother and remove the baby or something, I was fine until this I was so happy its just hit me so hard I just want a healthy baby I dont care about myself :(
and that good to know u can have more babies and not get gd again but im so sad to say I dont want to have another possibility of feeling like this again :( I said this to my partner too hes really upset as he wanted lots of children too a big family and hes annoyed that I now say I dont want more :(

I ate a McDonalds after my test as a reward for being brave lol ( hate blood test) I also have a huge sweet tooth so I been thinking all the times my sugars must've been through the roof and I feel so soo guilty about it and what damage its done to the baby:(
I think its more common than I realise im scared to go on medication idk why im trying may best thats all I can do I guess and if I need medication I need medication what can I do :(
thank you:)

also cannot imagine having this from 16 weeks I dont think id coupe at all so props to you! I only have 5 weeks doing this been doing it one week, cant imagine how bad my mental health would be from 16 weeks hence why im thinking I cant risk being pregnant and having this again the worry is eating me up

I had GD with my son. He's now a happy, healthy 6ft 5 21 year old. I never got rid of the t2 diabetes after he was born but tbh it's meds controlled and I live a normal active life. Don't worry about it too much. Much love to you and your family x

Please don't worry. I didn't know I had GD... I went on honeymoon to Devon at 33 weeks pregnant and took my wedding cake with me and pretty much ate the lot! Plus the GD made me thirsty so I kept drinking orange juice. I found out about 3 weeks later that I had GD. My daughter was perfectly healthy and all was well. You're not doing your baby damage and you're not letting them down. Try not to overthink things.. small steps... One day at a time!

I had GD from early on with all 3 pregnancies - from 7 weeks onwards with my 2nd and 3rd. I needed insulin injections from 11 weeks with my youngest. It's tough going but you haven't got long left. It will be ok for just a few weeks.

All is fine now. I did develop type 2 when I put on a bunch of weight over a decade later but have since managed to get it in remission from weight loss.

Things to avoid

Fruit (most)
Fruit juice
Dried fruit such as raisins
Hidden sugars such as in cereals and sometimes on carrots at the carvery, or in curry in an Indian restaurant.

Protein with a carb helps to lessen the effects.

I'm sorry to jump on this thread. And feel sorry for you op. Pregnancy is tough.
How do they diagnose GD? I had my 16 weeks appointment with the midwife and they did a urine test. That's it. No bloods. Next time I will see her at 28 weeks. How in earth do they pick things up of there are no tests?
I'm a bit worried

@GrumpySock my kids are all over 10 now and things change all the time, but they used to do a blood test later in pregnancy, when most cases begin. It was called the lucozade test. They take your blood, you drink lucozade and sit for an hour or 2 and then they take your blood again. I was tested at 16 weeks with my twins because I'd had it in a my previous pregnancy. If you're very thirsty/tired/weeing lots those would.be fairly classic symptoms (also fairly classic pregnancy symptoms I suppose) .

thats great to hear thank you and did they just pick that up from yearly tests?

oh wow! and ive been eating alot of chocolate before knowing which made me feel bad, but thats great to know your daughter was fine! how did u find out so late I thought mine was late!

oh wow all 3 that must of been hard! I know I keep reminding myself I only have this for a few weeks !
did they pick that up from yearly testing?

dont be sorry! basically I got asked to do an additional scan as I have tachycardia and they wanted to check the baby's growth wasnt compromised because of this, the lady who done my scan was saying have I had a gd test I said no and didnt think much more of it,, but asked at my midwife app the next day why she would ask that / if everything was ok with scan, my baby was weighing 4lb 11 at 32 weeks, which is 90th percentile and a week ahead of her gestation so she said lets do a gd test,
2 weeks later I had it, just couldn't eat from 10pm night before, went to antenatal clinic 9am took my fasting bloods the drank a very sugRY drink within a few mins then waited 2 hours took bloods again, they called me same day telling me I had it

not everyone routinely gets this only if you have risk factors normally at 28 weeks if you do, like previous gd pregnancies, if ur family has diabetes etc from my knowledge
although in America pretty sure everyone gets it routinely at 28 weeks which I really think people should do here as I had 0 symptom, no one has diabetes in my family, and. I would never of known without having a fast heart and them on a whim basically saying lets just do an additional scan! because otherwise u dont get more scans if all is well!

dont be worried, I think they start measuring ur bump at around 28 weeks cant remember that can pick up if baby is measuring bigger, some people also do get symptoms,
I think also u get glucose in your urine but dont quote me on that if you're really worried about GD just ask for a test just exaggerate and say you have had very dry mouth etc and worried about gd and want a test there's no harm in doing it and nothing wrong

I developed gestational diabetes quite late on when I was pregnant with my son. I was 33 weeks so similar to you. I was considered at risk of developing it because my mum has type one diabetes so I’d also been tested at 28 weeks and I didn’t have it then so I’d wrongly relaxed and thought I didn’t have to worry about it. It was a shock to me too but I was able to control it with diet and my son was born 100% healthy and an average weight. I know it doesn’t feel like it but it’s a good thing you’ve had the diagnosis. Gestational diabetes is mainly only dangerous when the pregnant woman doesn’t know she has it and it goes untreated and uncontrolled. Now you have the ability to make sure your baby is ok by controlling your diet or getting medication if you need it.

Yes! It was a very gradual creeping up of my hba1c (yearly blood test). They were absolutely adamant that I must have been diabetic before to get it so early in pregnancy, but in my third pregnancy I actually had had bloods done approx 6 months before I knew I was pregnant and they were all fine and non-diabetic levels.

Hey OP. On 31 weeks today and I’ve had GD for the last couple months or so. My Dad is Type 2 so I took the action of checking myself before the NHS Test (which confirmed it). It’s not all doom and gloom. I’m still learning now what I can and can’t eat. But I’m still eating nice treats once a day when my bloods are low. It’s all trial and error, what might raise my bloods might not raise yours. I’m happy to DM you the foods I’ve eaten over the past few weeks / months so you can see what’s kept my sugars low and raised them. KFC and McDonalds keep my sugars low so you might see a lot of that on there 🤣
Honestly though I’m happy for you to DM me and ask anything. I’ve dealt with it for 8-10 weeks and still got 9 weeks to go

that is true, I am grateful it was caught so now hopefully all will be ok, I think im doing ok so far, my number are within range but theyre slowly going up everyday which is making me worry

oh wow, thats interesting but kinda of scary to think at any point in my life now I can get diabetes :(